We went to Grace Bible Church today and heard the last sermon for their minister of 20 years, for he is going to plant an new church in the Hawke’s’ Bay. As part of this, we learned some church history; Grace was planted in Dunedin by the Reformed church 20 years ago to be a less formal, student orientated church close to the university campus.
The Reformed churches then united with some conservative Presbyterian congregations to form Grace Presbyterian: this is still quite South Island based. The move to the North Island has been invited by other evangelical groups.
The sermon was on John 13:36… that we love each other as Christ loved us, for this is how we will be seen as disciples. One of the comments was that over the last 20 years the minister has seen him thousands of times: his encouragement was to continue with this.
The focus of the church must always be, like Grace Bible, outward. We are not on this earth to be safely insude a bunker. looking out, but bringing others to Christ, and living not according to the narrative of the world of our time.
For as an elder said today, we are in this world, in this time, for a reason.
27Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” 28Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29“Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?” 30They left the city and were on their way to him.
31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples said to one another, “Surely no one has brought him something to eat?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, ‘Four months more, then comes the harvest’? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.”
39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I have ever done.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.”
In this generation there is a hunger for truth, because the elite teaches nothing but the narrative, and the narrative is a lie.
In this generation there is a hunger for forgiveness, for the elite tell us we are entitled, and that is a lie.
In this generation there is a need for the law, for the elite teach that this is oppression, and their freedom allows us to be enslaved by the very desires the law warns us against.
In this generation there is a need for godly sorrow, but the counsellors call this low self esteem and depression, and medicate us before we reach repentance.
And the cure for all this is Christ. We have Christ. We must preach him, using words if needed.